District court, Judicial District 5
Lawrence P. McLellan
District Court Judge · District 5C · Polk County
About
Judge McLellan, Polk County, was appointed to the bench in 2012. He received his Bachelor of Arts degree in 1979 from Drake University. He received his law degree from Drake University in 1983. In 2006 he earned a masters in law degree from the University of Missouri-Columbia in dispute resolution.…
Retention votes
| Election | Yes | No | Kept by |
|---|---|---|---|
| November 3, 2026 | 93,422 | 46,495 | 66.8% yes |
What lawyers said
Before each retention vote, the Iowa State Bar Association asks lawyers who’ve appeared before the judge to rate them from 1 (very poor) to 5 (excellent), and whether the judge should be kept.3
98.1% of 156 responding lawyers said to keep the judge (2026).
| Question | 2026 |
|---|---|
| Knowledge and use of the law | 4.6 |
| Sees the facts of a case clearly | 4.5 |
| On time for court | 4.7 |
| Listens to arguments and testimony | 4.7 |
| Runs the courtroom well | 4.7 |
| Temperament and manner | 4.7 |
| Clear, well-written decisions | 4.6 |
| Rules promptly | 4.5 |
| Uses technology to improve the courts | 4.5 |
| Avoids needless personal criticism | 4.7 |
| Decides on the law and facts, not outside pressure | 4.7 |
| Courteous and patient | 4.8 |
| Treats people equally | 4.8 |
| Fair to people without a lawyer | 4.6 |
| Said to keep the judge | 98.1% |
| Lawyers responding | 156 |
Source: Iowa State Bar Association Judicial Performance Review: 2026 (page 43).
Appeals from this judge’s cases
3 appeals on record; 1 reversed or vacated at least in part.4
- Criminal appeal No. 25-0929
- Michelle Vaccaro v. Polk County, Iowa, and Polk County Sheriff Kevin SchneiderAI summary The dispute involved whether the defendants were required to hand over confidential investigative reports during the pretrial discovery process. The court reversed the lower court's decision that had ordered the documents to be produced. This means the defenda…